Company Profile
SPIE
Company Overview
SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies.
Serving 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, the not-for-profit society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth.
SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific, where more than 35,000 scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs showcase the latest innovations across a wide range of technologies.
SPIE publishes the SPIE Digital Library, the world’s largest collection of optics and photonics applied research with more than 500,000 papers from SPIE journals, conference proceedings and presentations, and eBooks. Research spans biomedicine, communications, sensors, defense and security, manufacturing, electronics, energy, and imaging.
In 2019, SPIE provided over $5.6 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources.
Membership includes Fellows and Senior Member programs. The Society has named more than 1,500 SPIE Members as Fellows since 1955, and implemented its Senior Member program in 2008.
The SPIE awards program serves to recognize outstanding contributions from individuals throughout the scientific community.
The SPIE international office is located in Bellingham, Washington and the SPIE Europe office is located in Cardiff, Wales.
Company History
1955 - On July 1, the Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers is founded to specialize in the application of photo-optical instrumentation.
1957 - The first SPIE Newsletter is published. The first national technical symposium is produced. Membership in SPIE reaches 200.
1956 - Incorporated as Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers in the State of California. The Society produces its first product display (Exhiborama) with 250 in attendance. First 100 Members.
1963 - SPIE holds its first technical seminar-type conference and publishes its first official proceedings, on image enhancement.
1962 - The official Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers Journal is launched with an October/November issue.
1961 - Membership in SPIE reaches 1,000. George W. Goddard Award is established to recognize exceptional achievement in optical or photonic instrumentation for aerospace, atmospheric science, or astronomy.
1970 - Journal name changed to Journal SPIE, and SPIE-GLASS is included in Journal. Tabletop Exhiborama is established as SPIE hallmark at the Fiber Optics meeting in Dallas, Texas. SPIE produces its first meeting in Japan.
1969 - Membership reaches 1,200 and Sustaining Membership reaches 50. SPIE holds five technical conferences. Joseph Yaver is hired as Executive Director.
1973 - National Headquarters moves from Redondo Beach to Palos Verdes, California. SPIE holds 11 technical conferences. The Annual Meeting is held in San Diego, California for the first time.
1975 - The Society becomes financially viable with income reaching $500,000. SPIE holds 16 technical conferences. SPIE presents author manuscript kit at all its conferences.
1978 - Educational Fund established to foster educational activities in optical engineering. SPIE holds 36 technical conferences.
1980 - Membership reaches 3,000. SPIE Headquarters reaches 30 full-time employees. The Society purchases land in Bellingham, Washington, for future construction of International Headquarters. The number of technical papers doubles in the SPIE Journal, Optical Engineering.
1979 - Proceedings Volume 200 is published. The SPIE Technology Achievement Award is established to recognize outstanding accomplishments in optical, electro-optical, or photonics engineering technologies. SPIE holds 46 technical conferences. The Society establishes its first European office.
1981 - To reflect its rapidly changing Membership and fast-paced technology, the Society name is officially defined as SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. The Society celebrates its 25th Anniversary in San Diego, California, with a record 21 technical conferences, 160 instrument displays, and 18 tutorials. SPIE reaches milestones of 4,000 Members and 5,000 exhibitors. Over 10,000 papers are published in SPIE Proceedings and Optical Engineering. Over 150,000 copies of SPIE Proceedings and Journals are distributed.
1983 - The First International Technical Symposium (Geneva, Switzerland) has 1,300 attendees from 26 countries. Due to demand in various technical areas, new Technical Working Groups are formed. The Dennis Gabor Award is established to recognize outstanding inventive accomplishments in optical systems. International Headquarters is officially dedicated in Bellingham, Washington.
1986 - Two new symposia are introduced, OE/LASE in Los Angeles and Technical Symposium Southeast in Orlando. The Society celebrates its 30th Anniversary in San Diego, California.
1990 - The Society establishes an SPIE Soviet Union Chapter, making it the first United States-based scientific and engineering society to open a chapter in the then-U.S.S.R. SPIE also establishes Chapters in Poland and Hungary. International Headquarters expansion is completed in September.
1997 - Photonics West is a huge success with over 10,000 attendees and 415 exhibitors. Membership reaches all-time high with over 13,500 Individual Members and 317 Corporate Members. The number of SPIE Regional Chapters reaches a high of 21 in over 17 different countries. SPIE Journals from 1996 are available for the first time on a single, searchable, readable, and printable CD-Rom. The SPIE Women in Optics Technical Community is formed.
2001 - In January, oemagazine launches, as a new member publication on optics, photonics, and society news. The SPIE Europe office opens in Cardiff, UK.
2003 - SPIE Digital Library is launched, offering 70,000 full-text papers from SPIE journals and conference proceedings. SPIE and OSA secure a $1.7 million NSF grant that will actively involve students, parents, teachers, school districts, and their greater communities in the areas of science and engineering.
2006 - The online SPIE Newsroom and SPIE Professional member magazine are launched. Two electronic journals, the Journal of Nanophotonics and the Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, are announced. Membership is over 17,000 and SPIE has 91 Student Chapters throughout the world.
2007 - SPIE retires its DBA "The International Society for Optical Engineering" to operate as SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics.
2012 - SPIE.tv reaches 100,000 views on YouTube. The SPIE Digital Library is expanded to include the earliest published articles, from 1962. SPIE Fellows Alan Willner and Paul McManamon co-chair the U.S. National Academies' committee on a new report titled, "Optics and Photonics, Essential Technologies for our Nation," and present the first public briefing at SPIE Optics and Photonics. The addition of 21 new SPIE Student Chapters boosts the total past 200.
2015 - The United Nations International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies (IYL) 2015 is celebrated through the photonics community; SPIE is a Founding Partner and helds a worldwide IYL photography contest. SPIE Photonics West attracts a record-breaking 21,000 attendees. SPIE names 58 new fellows to the Society, surpassing 1,000 in total; general membership reaches 18,500. Karen Egiazarian is named editor of the Journal of Electronic Imaging.
2019 - The SPIE Endowment Matching Program, a $2.5 million educational-funding initiative, launches and the first grant of $500,000 creates the SPIE Chair in Optical Sciences at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona. SPIE and Chinese Laser Press publish inaugural issue of open-access journal Advanced Photonics. The SPIE Digital Library hits half-a-million milestone. A new survey jointly commissioned by SPIE and OSA assesses level of harassment at scientific meetings. SPIE acquires Photonex, UK's top optics and photonics exhibition from Xmark Media. SPIE partners with Laser Focus World on the Lasers & Photonics Marketplace Seminar starting in 2020 at Photonics West.
Notable Accomplishments / Recognition
In 2019, SPIE provided over $5.6 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources.
The SPIE Endowment Matching Program will disburse up to $2.5 million to fund the expansion of educational opportunities in optics and photonics over the next five years, typically for a named faculty position, chair, or scholarship needs.
SPIE Awards Program is not only one of the most prestigious ways the Society recognizes excellence, but also one of the longest running SPIE Programs. Since 1959, SPIE has honored the best in optics and photonics for their significant achievements and contributions in advancing the science of light.
The International Day of Light (IDL) is an annual, global initiative that provides a focal point for the continued appreciation of light. IDL aims to raise awareness of the critical role light-based technologies play in our lives, elevating science, technology, art, and culture to help achieve the goals of UNESCO – education, equality, and peace.
Benefits
PTO can be used for vacation, sick leave, time-off for inclement weather, holidays and other time off needed. A full-time employee, will start accruing PTO from the date of hire at the rate of 31 work days each in the first and second year, 36 work days in the third through ninth years, and 41 work days after 10 years of employment. Full-time employees who are regularly scheduled for 30 hours or more per week and less than 40 hours per week will accrue benefit hours on a pro-rated basis. Accrued but unused PTO may be rolled over from one year to the next; however, an employee may not exceed cap limits of PTO accrual. Part-time employees will accrue PTO on a pro-rated basis, dependent on the number of hours worked per week.
Our benefits package includes medical, dental & vision with 100% paid premiums for employee, 75% paid for dependents. Health savings & flexible spending accounts funded by SPIE. 100% paid employee life & disability insurance, dependent life insurance available through payroll deduction. Many learning & development opportunities including tuition reimbursement & leadership development.
Our workplace offers onsite volleyball and soccer, yoga classes, lunch food trucks, costume contests, picnics, parties & more. Employees may receive discounts on gym memberships, cell phone service, office supplies, zoo tickets, fitness registration fees (5Ks, races, etc.).